hi there. I recently started school for automotive tech. I have a 2008 focus se 2.0l coupe with 45xxx miles on it. I will be having the scheduled all round maintenance done soon. I wont be doing it because ive only been at school for a week. but I would like to get under the hood and improve preformance. I was reading since my car is automatic I should stick to under 200hp. so I wanted to know where to look for a guide to what combo of parts I can put in to make it zippier and even better at turning. I can find the how tos I kinda wanna know what parts to add together. I dont want to put something in and it needs another part changed as well. maybe I sound super noob but I am.

I/h/e, cams, intake mani, and a tune will put you close to the 200hp marker and those are the basic bolt ons you can do. I can't stress enough how important a tune is. It doesn't matter how many things you throw into the engine bay, without a tune you cant get the most out of your mods. I myself am starting a mech class for ford today and have an 08 as well lol. that or just a 50/75 shot of nos (with a tune of course) lol. Look around the forum for how to's, comparison of parts (which is good to see gains) and pictures of rides so you get an idea of what you want to do. To each their own lol but best of all is the fofo family here that will help you out with whatever you need. Don't be afraid to ask for help and I'll look forward to seeing your future mods bro lol gotta go to class

With the automatic, intake/header/exhaust/tune is going to put you somewhere in the ballpark of 140 WHP. If you want more oomph than that you will need to spend a few grand on Cosworth NA parts or FSWERKS turbo kits.

Putting work into the suspension/wheels/tires is more beneficial to this car. Engine mounts, stress bars, low-profile tires... All of these things will allow the car to more effectively use the power it's got and the feeling of being more connected to the road is much more enjoyable than raw power alone.

For the '08-'11 models; aftermarket suspensions from 06-07 cars will work with appropriate spring mounting hardware. If you look hard enough you may find a rear disk brake conversion kit from either the 05-07 ST or 02-04 SVT. This will fit with some modification. Top quality intakes are from CFM or FSWERKS. FSWERKS has the most comprehensive exhaust systems for this car as well. Focus Power (Tom) will give the best bang for your buck with tuning. CFM, Steeda, FSWERKS, and some other companies offer chassis strengthening and motor mounts.

awesome thanks for the info. Like yall said i think i need to tune and make sure all my parts are in working condition first. The first three things i need to do is fix or get a new driver seat, fix the driver outside door handle or get a new one, and new rotors with brake pads. My car pulsates when i brake, it also makes a creaking when i let pressure off my brake pedal.

Ill then follow with you advice.

Would it be more fun for me/ more learning/ more potential to try and sell my car and get a focus with a different engine? i always wanted the hatchback focus but they didnt offer it at the time i bought this one. Not saying i dont like the 08 focus but it sounds like the 2.0 duratec isnt that workable or is already doing the most it can. I also understand the suspension and tires have alot to do with it.

I mean i like my car i just want it faster than most stock i4s(non turboed) and whatnot. Im willing to put money into this car i just want to do it right. In the end i would like to turbo it out but i keep seeing that its not worth it in an automatic.
The engine seems nice and easy to work on compared to my buddies v8. Maybe if i could find a part by part in a good order to put in the car. Then when i have the 3000$+ for the turbo i can do that.
I dont feel like dealing with selling my car but i also dont want to be held back by my car either.

Also what does NA stand for? i keep seeing it everywhere lik the post above me.

"Its just that the Duratec is pretty solid NA, if you want raw power, boost is really the only cost effective way."

So when you say you started school for automotive tech, you just started school and have no prior knowledge.... at least that's what I"m getting from this... lol

NA means normally/naturally aspirated. Engine does not have a turbocharger/supercharger.
FI means forced induction. Engine has a turbocharger/supercharger.

The only hatchback Focus that was sold with an engine larger than 2.0 were a few random 03-04 hatches with the 2.3 pzev. The 2.3 Duratec is a more powerful engine that responds better to modification than the 2.0 at the cost of fuel efficiency.
The SVT Focus had a 2.0 Zetec engine which is different than the Duratec.

I would seriously recommend finishing up school before touching your car... It seems like that would be in your best interest.

So when you say you started school for automotive tech, you just started school and have no prior knowledge.... at least that's what I"m getting from this... lol

NA means normally/naturally aspirated. Engine does not have a turbocharger/supercharger.
FI means forced induction. Engine has a turbocharger/supercharger.

The only hatchback Focus that was sold with an engine larger than 2.0 were a few random 03-04 hatches with the 2.3 pzev. The 2.3 Duratec is a more powerful engine that responds better to modification than the 2.0 at the cost of fuel efficiency.
The SVT Focus had a 2.0 Zetec engine which is different than the Duratec.

I would seriously recommend finishing up school before touching your car... It seems like that would be in your best interest.

Yea i just started schoo with very little/no car knowledge. What about touching my car as far as oil change, rotors/brake pads? I know i need those two things soon and i dont have the money to drop it at a shop.

I tottaly get that i shouldn't touch the engine regarding cold air intake, headers and all the preformance bolt ons.

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